1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to large engine systems, but more specifically to a system and method for supplying auxiliary power to a locomotive engine to permit automatic shutdown of such locomotive engine in all weather conditions.
2. Background of the Invention
Generally, large diesel engines, such as locomotive engines are not shut down during cold weather conditions due to the difficulty in restarting. Diesel engines do not have the benefit of an electric spark to generate combustion and must rely on heat generated by compressing air to ignite fuel in the engine cylinders. In low temperature conditions (ambient temperatures below about 40xc2x0 F.), two major factors contribute to the difficulty in starting a diesel engine. First, cold ambient air drawn into the engine must be increased in temperature sufficiently to cause combustion. Second, diesel fuel tends to exhibit poor viscous qualities at low temperatures, making engine starting difficult. Furthermore, engine oil that provides lubrication for the engine is most effective within specific temperature limits, generally corresponding to normal operating temperature of the engine. When cold, the engine lube-oil tends to impede engine starting. Moreover, most engines require a large electrical supply, typically provided by a battery, in order to turn over and start the engine. Unfortunately, batteries are also adversely affected by severe cold weather.
In cold weather, large engines are typically idled overnight to avoid the necessity to restart in the morning and to provide heat to the crew space. Locomotives that must operate in extremely cold environmental conditions must be run continuously, at high fuel cost, or, when shutdown, must be drained of engine coolant and provided supplemental electrical service and heaters, also at high cost.
In warm weather, locomotive engines typically idle to provide air conditioning and other services, including lighting, air pressure and electrical appliances. If the locomotive is shut down, solid-state static inverters that transform dc power from the locomotive batteries to useful ac power can provide electrical power for air conditioning and other services. Devices such as inverters are parasitic loads that tend to drain the batteries, which will adversely affect engine reliability. Alternatively, wayside electrical power can be supplied, but it generally does not maintain air conditioning.
Several systems have been designed to maintain warmth in a large diesel engine under low temperature ambient conditions. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,424,775 shows an auxiliary engine for maintaining the coolant, lube-oil, and batteries of a primary diesel engine in restarting condition by using the heat of the auxiliary engine exhaust, to keep coolant, lube-oil, and batteries sufficiently warm. U.S. Pat. No. 4,762,170 shows a system for facilitating the restarting of a truck diesel engine in cold weather by maintaining the fuel, coolant, and lube-oil warm through interconnected fluid systems. U.S. Pat. No. 4,711,204 discloses a small diesel engine for providing heat to the coolant of a primary diesel engine in cold weather. The small engine drives a centrifugal pump with restricted flow such that the coolant is heated, and then pumped through the primary cooling lines in reverse flow. In many of such systems, an electrical generator or inverter may be included to maintain a charge for the batteries.
None of them, however, specifically address other problems associated with the idling of a large diesel engine, such as, primary engine wear, wet stacking due to piston ring leakage as a result of idling for long periods of time in cold weather, high fuel and lube-oil consumption, and so forth. No effective alternative to warm weather idling is known to exist.
An objective of the present invention is to provide a reliable auxiliary power supply system to allow for shutting down a primary diesel engine in all weather conditions.
Another object is to provide a system that will start an auxiliary power unit to maintain a primary engine warm in response to a predetermined ambient temperature.
Another object is to provide a system that will shut down a primary engine after a certain predetermined period of time, regardless of ambient temperature, and start an auxiliary power unit.
Another object is to provide a system that will maintain fuel, coolant, and lube-oil of a primary engine at a sufficiently warm temperature to facilitate restarting such primary engine in cold weather. A more specific objective of the present invention is to keep a primary engine coolant warm by using electrical heaters and a heat exchanger. A related object is to keep a primary engine lube-oil warm by using a recirculating pump and electrical heaters.
A further objective of the present invention is to provide heating and air conditioning to the cab compartment for crew comfort.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an electrical generator for charging the primary engine""s batteries, as well as for generating standard 240 vac and 120 vac to permit the use of non-vital and hotel loads.
A more specific object of the invention is to isolate a primary engine""s batteries when such primary engine is shut down to prevent discharge of the batteries.
The present invention provides such a system and method that furnishes cold weather layover protection automatically in a mobile package that will protect primary engine systems and cab components against freezing. Prior art solutions require the primary engine to remain operating or require use of wayside stations. The present invention allows for automatic shutdown of a primary engine instead of extended idling operation while maintaining a charge on the primary engine""s battery. Prior art solutions that allow automatic primary engine shutdown require the primary engine to be automatically started and idled in order to protect the primary engine from freezing, or that the primary engine start in response to a low primary engine battery charge. The present invention allows for the operation of cab air conditioning while the primary engine is shut down. Prior art solutions require the primary engine to operate in order to provide air conditioning. The present invention provides electrical power in standard household voltages for hotel and non-vital loads allowing for the installation and use of commonly available electrical devices without the need to maintain the primary engine operating. Prior art solutions rely upon the use of 74 vdc locomotive power with specially designed components. Such components are expensive and in limited supply since they must be designed to operate on an unconventional voltage not widely used outside the railroad industry, or they require the use of solid-state inverters. In either case, the primary engine must remain operating to provide electrical power or the batteries will discharge.